


Back to the Basics

by orange_8_hands



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Revenge, Season/Series 07, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-29
Updated: 2014-04-29
Packaged: 2018-01-21 07:19:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1542323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orange_8_hands/pseuds/orange_8_hands
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>here are things that happened to Claire, S7 AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back to the Basics

**Author's Note:**

> **TW** : violence/torture, mild dub-con, character death

I.

  
"Do you want to know what I remember?"  
  
II.  
  
She is tied to a chair. There is rope around her ankles, around her hands. Her thighs are slightly spread. She is wearing a white dress.  
  
There is blood on her dress. There is blood -  
  
There is a demon hitting her. Her jaw is broken. She cannot see out of one eye. She is panting, and sobbing. The demon is hitting her and saying -  
  
III.  
  
"Do you want to know what I remember?"  
  
Castiel is inside a wall of fire. He turns, keeping his body even with hers as she circles him. The light reflects on his face, making his eyes seem almost black. She is twirling an angel blade in her clever fingers.  
  
"Or would you rather know what I learned?"  
  
IV.  
  
There is blood on her dress. There is a demon hitting her and blood on her dress. Her legs are slightly spread and the demon is stepping in between her knees, forcing her broken jaw up with one hand. She tries to gather the blood pooling in her mouth to spit, but the demon clamps a hand over her mouth. This is when she discovers her nose is broken, and starts to choke.  
  
V.  
  
The light reflects on Castiel's face. It is more animated than the last time she saw it, but still, the way the light reflects his eyes makes them look almost black, and his face is lax. She wonders if it feels human, after belonging to someone for so long who isn't. She wonders if -  
  
"Do you want to know what I remember?"  
  
He turns, keeping his eyes on her.  
  
"Or would you rather know what I learned?"  
  
VI.  
  
One day she comes home from a friend's. Her mother is still in her outfit from Church. She has one arm across her stomach and one hand pressed against her lips. She turns red-rimmed eyes to her daughter, who stands in the doorway, and then looks at the TV. They both recognize the figure in stained glass.  
  
The woman on the screen says, "He was young...and...and sexy. He had a trench coat."

She comes in and turns off the TV, standing in front of her mother. Her eyes are dry, and a blue that matches her father's.

  
"Mom," she says, and pulls the hand covering her mouth down. "Mom."

  
Her mother looks at her. "I bought Jimmy that trench coat for his birthday."

  
"I know," she says. She releases her mother's hand, looks around the room. "He liked that trench coat a lot."

  
VII.  
  
She is twirling the angel blade in her hands as she asks him, "So? Which would you rather?"  
  
"Claire," Castiel says. He is watching the blade. She looks down at it, as if surprised. She tosses it next to the duffel bag at her feet, ignores the way it clangs against the concrete floor.  
  
"That's not for you," Claire says. She pulls out a large bottle from her duffel bag. Castiel stills, because it's so hard for humans to get holy oil. He only knows of two -

"This is for you."

Claire smiles, and tosses her lighter in the air.

  
VIII.  
  
She is choking against the hand of the demon. She is choking on her own blood. She is -  
  
The demon leans over, kisses her neck. Claire's face is red, and she cannot -  
  
"I liked Clarence," the demon says, and Claire sees spots in front of her eyes.  
  
IX.  
  
Castiel is a very still creature. If pressed, Claire can remember how Castiel turned to look at her in the warehouse. Maybe there was sorrow in his eyes. Maybe regret, maybe -  
  
No matter how an angel dies, no matter where an angel dies, some light escapes the vessel and leaves behind scorched wings. Claire manages not to choke over the smell of burnt flesh still in the air.  
  
She leans down, touches the edges of shadows.  
  
X.  
  
"Do you want to know what I remember of hell?" the demon asks her.


End file.
